29 October 2014

Sweater weather is firmly here and I am enjoying it immensely. I love being cozy and comfortable, yet still presentable. This sweater fits the bill. It's warm and thick, perfect for running quick errands. It's also adjusted and fitted in just the right places so it looks smart enough to wear in an office. What I like best about this sweater though are colours and pattern. Magenta and bright orange are not colours I would normally go for, and certainly not together, but when I saw them together in this Aztec print, I couldn't look away. The sweater adds just the right amount of something something to an otherwise basic black and white outfit. Did I mention how cozy it is?

22 October 2014

There are many reasons why autumn is my favourite season. One of which is the seasonal foods and recipes that come with the colder temperatures. Food is just more comforting in the fall. Comfort food doesn't have to be unhealthy. This cinnamon apple porridge hits the spot every morning and is packed with only good things, no sugar added (besides the maple syrup), not to mention quick to prepare. If you're pressed for time you could use the instant oatmeal or quick oats packages, but I find porridge cooked on the stovetop tastes much better and is well worth the time.

Cinnamon Apple Porridge

In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter and add the diced apple and cinnamon, making sure that the apples are evenly coated by the cinnamon. Stir occasionally so the apples don't stick or burn. Remove from heat when the apples have softened and are golden brown. In another saucepan (or the same one) prepare oats as indicated on the packaging. Make sure to stir so it doesn't stick! When the porridge is cooked, serve in bowl add cinnamon and maple syrup to taste and finish off with granola for an added crunch.

It takes me about 10 minutes from start to finish so it is very quick.

16 October 2014

On Sunday C and I went for a walk in the Dublin mountains. I love coming here on the weekends. It's nice to be able to get out of the city for a while and into the mountains where it's so quiet. Initially, we had plans to go to Airfield Farm but C spent too long in the golf shop. Instead, we went for a short walk in the mountains since we had some time constraints. We drove up part of the way, got out of the car and walked for a while through the woods. We didn't make it all the way to the top due to our inappropriate clothing and footwear, but the view was spectacular nonetheless. It was such a beautiful day that we could see all of the city and the harbour. I was even able to spot one of the ferry's coming from England!

14 October 2014

Whenever the seasons change I find myself adding a few pieces to my make-up collection that will carry me through the season and onto the next. I saw this Chanel palette at the airport on my way over to Dublin and I couldn't resist it. It has a couple neutral colours, which I love and a this gorgeous peachy tone that blends really nicely with a brown smokey liner. But, the best thing about this palette is the purple shade. I've been looking for one for a while now but couldn't seem to find one without it being part of a pink-toned palette. The purple shade works great as a liner and adds something different to a black flick which I've been wearing a lot of lately. I also picked up a new lip shade in a berry colour that screams fall and a neutral nail polish in Buttermilk from Topshop. After the bright colours of the summer it's nice to move into more neutral tones for the autumn.

10 October 2014

I knew that in moving to Ireland I'd experience a certain degree of culture shock. Culture shock might not be the correct term here, since Ireland isn't as different as say, China, but there are some differences. I've rounded up a few here, besides the obvious "they drive on the left side" type of observations. I'd also like to say that obviously these are just a sample my own observations and that it's focused mainly on differences between Dublin and Montreal, the two cities where I have lived, but some of the differences apply to all of Ireland and Canada.

Milk: The norm here is 4% milk or full milk as they call it. You can get 2% milk but it's harder to come by. I discovered this one afternoon when I went to buy milk but there was no more 2% left at the shop. Later that night I tell C, my boyfriend, that there was no more milk at the shop. He wouldn't believe me until I specified that there was no more 2% milk. Which is where I discovered that the norm is 4% and that 2% milk is stocked in lower quantities. (Side-note: I've also seen some milks at 7%!)

Eggs: The first time I went to the groceries to get the basics for our fridge I walked all along the refrigerated sections a good 5 times looking for the eggs. It never occurred to me that they might not be in the refrigerated section. Finally, after having given up, I went down a non-refrigerated aisle, and there they were! Next to bread and spices. You see, everything is so much fresher in Ireland that they eggs don't need to be refrigerated at the supermarket.

Food: In general food here is much fresher and tastier, especially the meat. Animals are grain fed and free range, meaning they're much happier and you can definitely taste it. The labelling on foods is a lot much better. Ingredients are clearly indicated by name and percentages show how much of an ingredient makes up the food you're eating. For anyone with allergies, it's much easier to find problematic ingredients as they're in bold.

Parking: People can park whichever direction they please. See this photo as evidence.

Paper: I asked C to print off some papers for me the other day and when he handed them to me I noticed straight away their odd dimensions. When he assured me he hadn't made a mistake whilst printing, I googled it and sure enough, there's a difference. The paper here is narrower and longer than back in Canada. (The letter size is 8.27" x 11.7" vs. 8.5" x 11".)

Toilets: They're higher up and the handle is on the right side. Let's just say, my bum hurt for a while after I sat on it too hard expecting it to be lower as the toilets are back in Canada.

Horses: In some parts of Dublin it seems to be perfectly acceptable to keep a horse in your backyard. We were driving through the city on the way to Ikea when I spotted a man and his horse chewing grass in his front garden - in the city! I asked C and his Mum about it and they both assured me this was normal. Apparently they keep them in their backyards. And, what I thought most incredible in this story, is that if they live in terrace houses (what Canadians call townhouses) they make the horse go through the inside of house to get to the back garden!

Buses: Many bus stops serve several bus routes so in order to have the bus you want stop you have to hail it down, similarly to hailing a cab. I had never seen this before and C seems to think it's not weird at all. Back in Montreal if two buses share the same stop, you just step back or forward depending on whether you want to get on or if you're waiting for the other bus.

4 October 2014

Back in Montreal, I don't think I would have been caught dead in this outfit. Lets address the leggings and t-shirt situation going on here first. Leggings are not pants, I agree, and therefore, leggings should not be worn with a t-shirt like it is here. BUT, worn with this coat, it works. My bum is covered by my trench (or mackintosh, as some call it here) at all times. Secondly, I usually stick to one or two neutrals per outfit, never three! Thirdly, the shoes. In Montreal I definitely would have made more of an effort to find something else to put in my feet. I got these white leather Converses here after all my ballet flats and slippers I brought over either gave me blisters or this deep pain in the ball of my foot.

The reason this outfits works though is that I've come to notice that it is the European cool girls' uniform. Since I am now almost technically a European, I am adopting it as my uniform as well and I love it! There's something that has to be said about the simplicity of it all and the easiness in achieving the look.

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About Me

A 20-something chasing her dreams and making the most of every situation and opportunity. Passionate about all things fashion and a good cup of tea. As John Updike said, "We are most alive when we're in love." Montrealer living in Dublin.